January 7, 2008

 

Thomas Bowen

Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Humanities

Oakton Community College, Des Plaines IL 60016

Campus Office: DP 2807

Office Phone: (847) 376-7084

Email: tbowen@oakton.edu

 

Dear Student,

 

I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to Philosophy 105 0C1: Logic Online. This course is geared towards acquiring the basic skills necessary for critically analyzing and constructing arguments on any topic. During this spring semester (2008) we will learn how to (a) recognize arguments, (b) extract and evaluate the presuppositions upon which those arguments rest, (c) analyze and evaluate the formal properties of arguments, and (d) test for informal fallacies. The catalog description, course objectives, basic requirements, and schedule of assignments can all be found in the course syllabus. You must familiarize yourself with the content of the syllabus –you will be responsible for knowing the important dates (exams, etc) and the basic requirements of the course.

 

While the basic content for this course is the same as that which is taught in the classroom, there are important differences between online courses and courses in a traditional classroom setting. These differences concern specifically how students are expected to, and are able to, master the course material. The remainder of this letter will highlight some important information and provide some useful suggestions to aid you in your completion of this course.

 

  1. Basic Materials. Of course, the first step is figuring out what materials you need for this course, and how best to access them.

 

    1. We are using Invitation to Critical Thinking 5th edition by Joel Rudinow and Vincent E. Barry (Thomson/Wadsworth, 2004) as the basic text in this class. This textbook will be on sale at the Des Plaines Campus bookstore at the beginning of the semester. You must make sure that you purchase this textbook. Not only does the textbook provide you with essential information about the content of this course, but it will also provide you with opportunities for exercising your knowledge and skill with logic. Moreover, we will be making use of the textbook’s website (at http://www.wadsworth.com) a great deal throughout this course, and the purchase of the textbook will provide you with access to this website. The textbook’s website provides additional exercises, chapter summaries, and a series of tutorial quizzes that you will find useful for testing your knowledge.
    2. You will also need a computer –both WebCT and the textbook’s website run best on Microsoft Explorer, so you are best served if you use that software.
    3. To log onto the WebCT site for this course you need to go to http://online.oakton.edu. When you get there you will be asked to logon to the site, and you will have to input your logon name and password.
    4. Your WebCT ID is composed of the first initial of your first name and up to seven letters of your last name and the last four numbers of your Oakton ID number.
    5. Your password will be composed of your 6-digit birth date (with no dashes or spaces).
    6. If you have questions about how to logon to WebCT then you can either call the office of Alternative Education at (857) 635-1971 or go to http://www.oakton.edu/online/webctguide3_7/index.htm, or, of course, you can always call me (my phone number is given above).
    7. So, to sum up: to get going in this class you will need the textbook, access to the textbook’s website, and access to the WebCT website.

 

  1. Basic Course Requirements. Now that you have some idea of what you need and how to get it, it is important to look a bit at what we will be doing in this course and what you can expect from me and what I will expect of you. Most of this is laid out clearly in the course syllabus that can be accessed through the WebCT Course Materials module. Here I will just highlight some of the more important points.
    1. First, this course is divided into FOUR MODULES.

                                                               i.      Module One covers Chapters One through Five of the textbook (Units One and Two). While this seems like a great deal of material, generally speaking the material from Chapters One and Two are relatively straightforward and introductory. The main emphasis of Module One is on Argument Identification and Analysis.

                                                             ii.      Module Two covers Chapters Six and Seven (Unit Three). This is a major chunk of material here. These chapters deal with the formal evaluation of deductive arguments.

                                                            iii.      Module Three covers Chapters Eight and Nine (Unit Four). These chapters deal with the formal evaluation of inductive arguments.

                                                           iv.      Module Four covers the remaining chapters of the textbook (Unit Five). The main focus of this Module will be on Chapters 10, 11 and 12 (evaluating premises and informal fallacies). This Module should be completed by the end of week seven.

As a general rule, each module will take four weeks to complete. So, Modules 1 & 2 will be completed prior to the Spring Break, and Modules 3 & 4 will be completed after Spring Break.

    1. Second, upon completion of each module there will be an exam that you will be required to take. Each one of these exams will count as 20% of your final grade.

                                                               i.      There are, thus, FOUR EXAMS.

                                                             ii.      Each exam will require you to come to Oakton Community College (either the Des Plaines Campus or the Ray Harstein Campus).

                                                            iii.      Please let me know at the beginning of the semester whether you will be taking the exams at the DP or RHC campuses as a general rule.

                                                           iv.      If you are not in the area (live elsewhere in Illinois, the US or are overseas) arrangements can be made for you to take these exams at or near your location. Let me know as soon as you can where you are, and we will work with the Alternative Education Office here at Oakton to arrange for you to take the exams.

                                                             v.      Each Exam will be available during the final week of the Module and can be taken during the regular operation hours of the Testing Center. (Or, if you are outside of the area by arrangement). You MUST TAKE THE EXAM DURING THAT WEEK. Late exams will be penalized.

                                                           vi.      You should budget between 1 and 2 hours to complete the exams. No notes, texts or other aids are allowed.

    1. Third, there are plenty of opportunities for you to practice the skills you will be learning in this class through various exercises.

                                                               i.      The book has various useful exercises.

                                                             ii.      The book’s website (see above) has useful exercises.

                                                            iii.      There are other websites (that will be posted on the WebCT course page) that have useful exercises and information.

                                                           iv.      I will provide exercises on the course’s website.

You can only learn this material if you exercise your knowledge and skills! The more exercises you do—the better prepared you will be for the exams and the more you will learn. Feel free to ask me any questions concerning the exercises or to email me your work for comments.

Over the course of the semester I will post 5 exercise assignments that must be done and turned in for a grade. These GRADED EXERCISES will count as 10% of your final grade.

NOTE: these are the only exercises that I will grade, though I am more than happy to provide feedback on any work that you do over the course of the semester (particularly if it pertains to logic).

    1. Fourth, the remaining 10% of your grade for the course will come through discussion.
    2. GRADE BREAKDOWN:

                                                               i.      Exams = 80%

                                                             ii.      Graded Exercises = 10%

                                                            iii.      Discussion = 10%

    1. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME:

                                                               i.      I will log on to the course at least once a day (Monday through Thursday) and at least once on the weekend throughout the semester and will respond to your emails and discussion postings and post your grades in a timely manner.

                                                             ii.      When you are emailing me about questions relating to the course, please make sure you do so through the WebCT email function—it is easier to keep everything together there.

                                                            iii.      It is highly recommended that you take every opportunity to practice the skills you will be learning in this class. Take advantage of the exercises that the book offers online, and take advantage of the exercises that I will offer. Also, you should make sure that you let me know as soon as possible when you are having trouble understanding the material or how it works.

                                                           iv.      Finally, I will keep regular office hours (these will be posted on the syllabus) throughout the week and can make myself available outside of those hours if you would rather come to campus to speak with me in person. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are having any difficulty. I cannot aid you if I do not know that you are having trouble.

 

 

  1. Studying Online. In an online course you are primarily responsible for taking control of the material and learning it. You must make sure that you make enough time to read the textbook (usually more than once), do the exercises, and communicate with me if you are having difficulty or just need clarification. Since we do not have any scheduled hours when we meet, I cannot help you if you do not in some form reach out to me. Below, I have provided a few helpful hints that may aid you in learning this material and studying online. If you wish more help, then you can contact the Alternative Education Office, or you can go to http://www.oakton.edu/online/learner.htm.
    1. First, you must make sure that you are willing and able to commit at least 9-12 (15-18 is better) hours each week to this course. A great deal of this time should be spent on exercises. If the textbook does not provide enough, then contact me and I can provide you with more. Or, and this is a good idea generally, you can also practice your skills by examining the editorial pages (and op-ed pages) of the local newspaper.
    2. Second, you should be prepared to logon to the course at least once a day during the week (Monday through Thursday), and maybe at least once over the weekend. This will enable you to find out if there are any announcements (changes to the schedule, exercises, or extra-credit opportunities) and to communicate with me frequently. It is possible, though there is no guarantee, that I will offer extra-credit assignments throughout the semester. However, these will all have rigid due dates. So, if you do not check in regularly you may miss these. This last is important; I highly recommend that you check in with me at least once a week and let me know how you are progressing through the course.
    3. Third, when you check in to the course you should check both WebCT email and the discussion page. And, of course, you should participate in the discussion on a regular basis.
    4. Finally, you must be self-motivated to do this material. But, do not hesitate to call on me during the semester (whether or not you are having trouble).

 

I hope that this course will be a good experience for you. Learning how to critically analyze and evaluate arguments and information is a very helpful skill in an increasingly complex and global world. One last note, I would like to ask that you provide me with an alternative means of reaching you besides the WebCT email system (perhaps an alternative email that you use). This will make it easier for me to stay in touch with you throughout the semester.

 

Sincerely,

Thomas Bowen